Meditations on Literature and Literacy...Continued

We made it, but we still have a ways to go…

As we close 2020, many of us are uncertain about what the future holds. When can we all get the vaccines that are beginning to be available? Will it be safe to go back into school buildings? Will we be able to keep our kids engaged and happy when we have to spend less time outside due to the winter weather?

When I reflect about 2020, I think about how as teachers, we basically had to re-learn how to do our jobs between March and now. I find myself saying to my students fairly often, “If we were together in the classroom, we’d do this, but instead…” While Pear Deck and Jamboard have provided some of the necessary interactive elements into online lessons, they still aren’t a substitute for being with my students in the classroom. I am a little sad that while I got to know my fall semester 10 graders as best I could, there were still several that were names in black boxes on my screen, and I don’t know if I will ever hear their voices.

I still do believe that we should not open school buildings until it is safe for everyone, students and staff alike. I don’t know when that is going to happen, but I hope the powers that be are thoughtful and methodical in their approach. I don’t think it is right to further privilege some voices as to whether schools should be above others and our leaders need to be mindful of this tendency. Even though it is less than ideal, I still feel like I have had some successes with my students virtually and hope to make these experiences more of the rule than the exception.

Remote learning is not all good or all bad; it’s what how the teachers and students adapt to it and to each other that matters. The social interaction can be there, but we can’t expect it to look the same. I have plenty of students who feel sad and overwhelmed by the pandemic and what is happening in the world, but I also know a that many of them are coming up with new and creative things to do, while life looks a little bit different. This last part is not really being talked about, most of the focus has been on “getting back to normal” rather than adapting and changing the way both adults and children see things. I think this will continue to evolve as we head into the new year, and I hope that most are open to it, whether it’s new ways to teach or different ways of learning.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. It can only get better, right?

Back and Forth

Well. Numbers are rising around the country and in NYC. The 3% school closure threshold has been threatening for the last few days, but there are many loud complaints to keep schools open, that they’re safe, etc.

My main question for the Mayor: Was it worth it?

School has been open a little over two months. There are red, orange and yellow zones in different levels of closure at different times. There is the ongoing quaratining of different classrooms. Many students still don’t have devices or WiFi. Couldn’t our resources have been used in a more productive way?

The surge in cases does not appear to be coming from schools (probably since there are so few students in attendance on a given day with the majority of the students remaining fully remote even as our system is still “hybrid.” Rather, the surges are related to gyms and indoor dining. Shocking…places where groups of people have to be indoors for a long period of time, and in the case of indoor dining, unmasked. Now, I get that this has been a hard year for everyone. These small businesses can’t survive without being open since the government can apparently ram through a Supreme Court Justice, but can’t help people whose livelihoods have been so adversely affected by this situation.

My basic point is this: shutting down schools in NYC at this stage of the gave is purely for show if there are no other restrictions. This uncertainty has everyone on edge and is not good for students who wonder, “Can I go to school today?”

A Lot To Process

So. Many. Feelings. It’s been a bit (time has been very tight) so for a recap: My school’s zip code saw a spike in Covid cases early in October and was shut down to in person learning until further notice. I have been teaching remotely from home for the past 3 weeks. Just as I am getting into a good groove and routine with my students and family, we were informed that school would reopen for in person learning next Monday.

Now, don’t get me wrong…I didn’t think the shut down itself would last forever and I’m glad cases in my school’s neighborhood have levelled out and gone down. But. In all of this, I was holding out a bit of hope that our hardheaded mayor would come to his senses and realize what a fool’s errand this is. But no. So I am expected back in the building on Monday. To teach remotely in an empty classroom in a mask, instead of at my craft table at home.

And none of this is the fault of my school administration. My principal must be beside himself at all of this last minute information. I do not envy the position of school leaders, having to navigate the whims of wayward politicians and keep a brave face for their rightfully concerned staffs.

All of these constant changes create hardships for my family and many families. I am obviously willing to do my job. But no one seems to have remembered that when it comes down to it, teaching is just that – a job, and the people putting themselves out there to do it are, well, people. People with concerns for their safety and well being. People with their own families and responsibilities. We are constantly being told to support students’ social/emotional state. Which we do willingly, because we care. But who is looking out for our social/emotional wellbeing?

Week 2

I now have a KN95 mask labelled for each day of the week. I feel more confident about driving to work. I miss my reading time on the subway. There are still way more questions than answers about how this school year is supposed to look.

For example…attendance is usually pretty straightforward. The student is sitting in front of you, they are present. They are not – they’re absent. But…since I will never have them in a room together, how am I supposed to keep track? When am I allowed to assign work? Do the hybrid and fully remote students need different due dates for assignments? The list goes on and on.

But I am here. And I am doing what I have been tasked with. However, it still seems like a wasted opportunity to spend so much time and energy on the scheduling to see students once or twice a week rather than spending the time improving remote learning.

There have been many cases of COVID 19 reported in schools across the city already (no thanks to the DOE; they’ve only confirmed a couple of cases.) but that fact has not appeared to sway the mayor from this potentially disastrous course he has set. So we can only do what we can do. Which is show up for our students and support them and try to keep ourselves and our families safe.

So…What is happening?

First I was going to write about how I was tired of seeing comments (generally from a bunch of dudes) about how teachers are lazy and “the worst” because we have the audacity to request a basic level of safety when considering opening schools during a pandemic. If teaching and education in general was a male dominated field, would these fools think the same? I’ll let you decide.

Then, I was going to write about how scary but absolutely right the idea of a strike was and is, and our strength is in our sheer numbers, especially in New York City. But due to a back door deal made by our union president that actually does not solve any problems, the talk of a strike has died down.

Instead I will just reflect on what a roller coaster this summer has been. I have never had a summer where I have felt this level of anxiety about returning to school in September. I have never felt less prepared, even as a new Teaching Fellow for what to expect on the first day of school. These ideas and feeling have been simmering below the surface each an every day.

And then I look at how my daughters have blossomed. Their vocabulary, their physicality, their awareness of the world. I don’t think I would be nearly this anxious if I was just worried about myself. I don’t want anyone to get sick, obviously, but I am terrified of bringing it home to my husband and daughters. And to also say we now can’t see our parents, because of me? Well, that sucks. And what’s worse is that no one seems to care. The union doesn’t care. The Mayor sure as hell doesn’t care. My school admin’s hands are tied by what the city is telling them to do. I don’t have a medical condition that allows me to work fully remotely. And I feel like I’m being punished for being healthy.

I did everything I was supposed to do. I stayed home. i limited contact with at risk family members. I pulled my daughters from daycare during the lock down. I run with a mask on even though it drives me crazy. I drive instead of taking the subway even though it’s harder. And for what? To STILL be in an unsafe position because of my job? That’s ridiculous.

See everyone back on the 8th.

Letter of Displeasure

I wrote this letter to my council person regarding reopening in person school. I hope if you share my concerns, you will do the same:

Dear Councilman,

I am a ______ resident and an experienced educator in the New York City Department of Education. I have never been as anxious and skeptical about an upcoming school year as I am about this one, the 2020-21 school year. I fear for my own safety and that of my family which includes my husband and two young children, as well as for the safety of my students and their families. There are significant questions and concerns that educators and school staff have regarding returning to in person teaching that are not being addressed by you and the Committee on Education, Mayor DeBlasio or Chancellor Carranza.

As we see the numbers of COVID-19 cases skyrocketing in other states with many outbreaks associated with reopened schools. Yet, we continue to plan to return to schools that are consistently underfunded, in buildings that are sorely in need of updating in the best of times, and that could not possibly comply with CDC requirements now. If malls are not allowed to open without a properly working HVAC system, how is it possible that schools would be able to open without the same requirement? If indoor dining is still not allowed because the virus spreads in enclosed spaces, then how are schools supposed to operate?

It is also much more disruptive to education for the school community to be open, then closed, then open again, then closed, and so on. If we were to begin remotely and phase in in person classes in a strategic way, this might be avoided. However, that does not appear to be what the city has in mind. The reopening document that Mayor DiBlasio released was intentionally vague and does not answer many of the questions many educators are rightly asking. We cannot be expected to put ourselves, our families, and our school families at risk without knowing what we are walking into. It is a mistake to leave the decisions of scheduling, cleaning, and supplies up to the individual schools to figure out, especially without the help of additional funds, custodians, and school nurses. There is just no way that the current custodians can clean the schools multiple times a day, to the CDC standard without help. The principals’ union, CSA, has outlined their concerns in their letter to Mayor DiBlasio.

In the plan regarding testing and contact tracing, there is much to be desired. If a member of the school community tests positive for COVID-19, that test result will be received after several days of that person coming in contact with others at the school and unknowingly passing the virus. With windows that only partially open and with students eating lunch in classrooms without masks, this is a particularly precarious situation for anyone who has to supervise these students. There needs to be something better, especially a school that boasts a staff of over 200 and a student body of over 4,000

The bottom line is that New York City must do a better job of protecting school staff, teachers and students.

A Literature Break

With everything else that is going on, I haven’t actually written about one of my main educational interests in quite a while – YA literature. Diversity in YA lit has become an important topic of conversation and has lead to some really great books gaining recognition. There are also some that you might not have heard of, but would make great additions to your classroom library.

Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Darius The Great, #1)

Daruis the Great is Not Okay is the story of a Persian boy who visits Iran for the first time with his family. He meets his grandparents in person and becomes friends with their neighbor. Darius learns about his culture, heritage and himself. He is also contending with not fitting in high school and clinical depression, relatable topics for many students.

When I read this book, I thought immediately about my students who come from different countries and who sometimes go back at seemingly inconvenient times to those countries where their extended families still live. This book illustrated how important those trips are for those kids to be able to connect with their roots and their cultures.

I also appreciated the inclusion of Darius’s depression. This is not a BOOK ABOUT DEPRESSION, but it shows that the character lives with it, and manages it and how the medication and chemical imbalances impact his interactions with his friends and with his family. The best part of the book was his discussion about depression with his father, and what he learns about his father and how it improves their relationship.

I would recommend this book for literature circles or independent reading. The interest level is high school level and it’s Lexile reading level is 710 Lexile, which is equivalent to a 6th grade reading level. More reviews can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37506437-darius-the-great-is-not-okay

Enough What About-ism

The debate over whether schools are safe and ready to open in September has been taking up a lot of space in my mind. There are just so many questions that have no answers. Something that I see that disturbs me is that on social media platforms especially, when teachers, teacher/parents or parents express concern over the safety of school opening, the posts and articles are met with comments to the effect of, “What about <this group> of essential workers? They didn’t have a choice;” “If teachers don’t want to do their jobs, they should quit;” “I can’t do remote learning so my kid has to be in school.”

First of all, teachers don’t really have a choice either. Applying for medical accommodation if you are at high risk for contracting and complications of COVID-19 is not a choice. If we are told we have to be back in person on whatever poorly thought out hybrid schedule the city and/or our administration devises, we will have to go or risk losing our jobs. Taking childcare leave is not always a viable option either. When you take childcare leave (as I did to extend my maternity leave while my daughters were in the NICU — another rant for another time), you come off of payroll and lose your medical benefits. That is just not feasible for everyone. I’m in a relatively privileged position, but my family needs both incomes to sustain it. I’m many are in this situation. It is easy for people who are not teachers to see this as, “well, if you don’t want to go back then take a leave of absence.”

And then there are the comparisons to other fields. A few things:

Teachers ARE doing their jobs. In person teaching is not the only thing we do. During this spring, I conducted live sessions with my students, lesson planned, called more parents than I ever have during my previous 12 years of teaching, wrote IEPs and maintained relationships with my co-teachers and related service providers.
Comparing teaching to a medical field job is not a valid comparison. Hospitals are already cleaned vigorously and the staff understands they are going to come into contact with sick people. Schools are not cleaned and maintained in the same way. Many school buildings are old and don’t have the ventilation systems the CDC says are necessary to prevent outbreaks.
Many schools are overcrowded. The school I work at definitely is. With retail spaces limiting the number of people allowed in, they are taking precautions that are just not available to schools, even when the school is broken down into cohorts of students who attend on a given day.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, rather than being angry with teachers for very real concerns about returning to in person teaching, that anger should be redirected at the companies and businesses that refuse to allow flexibility in scheduling, even now when many people are working remotely. It should be directed at the federal government for leaving states and state institutions such as schools to fend for themselves when giving huge bailouts to the cruise and airline industries rather than education because they want to privatize education.

Please think twice before saying, “What about <this group>” during conversations about school openings.

Continuing the debate…

I’m not sure what there is left to say about the subject of reopening schools. Kylene Beers (author of When Kids Can’t Read – necessary reading if you have the inclination) wrote an eloquent rebuke to school boards considering this issue here: http://kylenebeers.com/blog/2020/07/11/thinking-about-re-opening-your-schools-read-this-first/?fbclid=IwAR2acq6dWVpxZ6l3ZutX9M9aPePCeNPus7HLizkG7RffzHxELfM1YrSxHCc

We can debate all day about the concerns, the implications for learning and socialization, who is in charge of sanitizing, etc and never get anywhere because there don’t seem to be any good answers out there. However, something that I’ve been thinking about and seeing here and there is worth noting. No other fields are rushing their employees back into the workplace if their jobs can be done remotely. How can we hold in person school when indoor dining is still on hold? Surely, being in a school building for 6 hours and 50 minutes 2 to 3 times a week is just as risky as spending 2 hours eating inside a restaurant. And if malls need proper ventilation systems in order to reopen, why don’t schools? The school building I work in is large and old, and does not have air conditioning in every room nor can we open the windows all the way. With our shrinking budget, how is this issue going to be addressed?

In addition, why is it only the schools’ responsibility to “restart the economy”? Why aren’t other employers making accommodations and flexible plans for their employees during this time of crisis and beyond? Not everyone can afford an unpaid leave because schools are happening remotely or on a hybrid schedule and people are rightly stressed out about that. But it is not just an issue of school acting as childcare. It is an issue with the way people are expected to work in this country. In the many posts and articles I have read about the subject, this idea has only surfaced once or twice. Why is this not an issue that is front and center?

And I’d also like to address the idea that I’ve been seeing on social media about “teachers need to stop whining and get back in the classroom.” Several people have written about this idea, and they need to stop. This is not what any of us signed up for. When I started teaching 13 years ago, I did not say, “Hey you know what I always wanted to do? Teach through a deadly pandemic.” Teachers are not the same as healthcare workers in that regard, though some would have you believe that they are. Healthcare workers work with sick people. Teachers teach students. There is a difference.

As much as I am not a fan of teaching remotely, I’m not sure there is any other safe choice for September.

What are we going to do?

Usually, summer is a welcome change. A more free form schedule, not having to get up at 5 AM, being able to do things that I don’t normally have time to do during the school year… it’s usually the least stressful time of the year. Cue 2020 when the world is upside down, and the stress of the unknown is weighing heavily on teachers, school staff, parents and students alike. What will September look like? Will we be able to see our students in person? Will the school staff be kept safe? Will our teaching schedules and our kids’ schedules match up? How are we going to teach both in person and online? Are the schools going to update their ventilation systems and clean properly when we are facing down huge budget cuts?

So many questions. So few answers. My daughters are to begin preschool in the fall as well. A school that we painstakingly researched, visited and picked based on the fit for our family. We have been paying for their tuition in installments now for several months. But are we going to get what we are paying for? They also plan to open, but how do you social distance with two year olds? They are not doing extended care, so how will my husband or I , as working parents, be available to drop them off and pick them up at the appointed times, that might be sometime during our work day? How will our daughters feel comfortable going to a new space in a building we used to visit every week, but now haven’t seen in several months? Will this bring out their separation anxiety? Will this whole situation bring out my own separation anxiety?

I have been trying and trying not to think about all of these things constantly. However, with the mayor’s announcement this morning ( https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/nyregion/nyc-schools-reopening-plan.html) , all of this is now swirling through my head. And, I’m sure, many of my fellow teachers and parents as well. I do think that some kind of hybrid model is best, at least for my students, because I was struggling to connect with my students through the screen this spring. I think we need to see each other in person sometimes for there to be that connection, relationship and accountability that is sorely lacking when students feel like they’re sending assignments into outer space (of course, I graded and commented on everything, but you know…). i just think that leaving the choices up to the individual schools is a choice that presents many different difficulties that the politicians are not accounting for. Hopefully, our union will.